Hell Broths (Part 3)

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Pastor Mike continues discussing demons in this series. Do they exist? What is demon possession? Should we try and cast out demons? What do you do if you meet a demon? Does God protect Christians from demons? (Also, listen to , , )

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Hell Broths (Part 4)

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Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.
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No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ. Based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the
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Apostle Paul said, "...but we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you."
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In short, if you like smooth, watered -down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn't for you.
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By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we're called by the divine trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her
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King. Here's our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth. Welcome to No Compromise Radio ministry. My name is
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Mike Abendroth. Good to have you here today. Just figuring out what to do for the show.
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Let's see. If God would speak to me right now, and He would touch my heart, and just listening to some
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James McDonald video on Pyromaniac's blog, and he was talking about how God speaks to us, not very often, he said, but through dreams and through personal words.
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So there you have it. I just wrote a chapter for a new book that should be out on Harvest House sometime in the next two years.
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That was a delayed publication. Anyway, it's called, I Hear Voices, Hearing from God Outside the
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Word, I Hear Voices. So that's just sitting here. That's kind of crazy. I do have an interesting emailer.
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You know what? Let's not do the email first. Let's do this. A borrowed light, shocking Barna statistic.
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June 13, 2012, shocking Barna statistic. You know George Barna. He does all the church growth, church statistics that people are supposed to use, and they basically confuse.
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A new study shows that 100 % of Barna statistics are skewed to lend credibility to his anti -church bias.
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Isn't that...that's classic, that's classic no compromise. A new study shows that 100 % of Barna statistics are skewed to lend credibility to his anti -church bias.
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And this article goes on to talk about how he is driven by bad theology, and he is for certain anti -church, at least the established church, and I will stick with Christ as he builds his church.
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We have warts and we have problems, but we have a great shepherd and a great
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Savior, a great head of the church, Jesus Christ. And that's why we're a no compromise radio. Well, I compromise.
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I don't like it when I do, but I do compromise. But we try to point you to the one that never compromises.
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What's going on this fall for no compromise radio? We will continue, Lord willing, with our daily podcasts with the addition of a
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Saturday podcast from Pastor Steve, Tuesday guy on Saturdays. But I haven't decided what to do on WV &E 760, they've been a good partner in ministry over the last few years, and we've got the 330 slot locked in.
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It is kind of fun to say to people, I'm right after, I'm right before R .C. Sproul. I don't think
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I'm after MacArthur anymore, I think I'm probably after some, I don't know, Minneth Meyer or somebody, or Jay Sekulow, sorry.
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So that lends more credibility. I have legal credibility and reformed credibility because of our two shows,
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Prior and After. But I don't know if we'll re -up with WV &E, I'm not saying this because I want your money.
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If you want to send money in, I guess you can, you have to figure out how to do it. It was probably a year ago, somebody said, we keep trying to send money, but you won't answer our emails.
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So that was because emails were down, but I think we have cashed a few checks. But we do have a policy, we don't beg for money, and we don't get the money.
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So, but anyway, it's a healthy investment on WV &E, and so we're just deciding whether we do it or whether we don't.
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And if we don't, I'm thankful to WV &E, and if we, which one did I just say? If we do, I'm thankful, if we don't, we're thankful.
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Okay, let's see, what else do I have here? But at least we'll keep doing podcasts either way.
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Making Necessary Distinctions, The Call to Discernment, Michael Horton, January 18, 2012.
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I just love this quote, and when I love quotes, I just have to tell them to people. And since you are part of the people that I want to influence, then
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I tell you. Here also, there is a danger in either confusing or separating. God's Word has two parts, the law and the gospel.
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The law commands and the gospel gives. The law says do, and the gospel says done.
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Equally, God's Word, both are good, but they do different things. The law issues imperatives slash commands, while the gospel announces indicatives slash a state of affairs.
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And so whether you're a real kind of Lutheran law gospel person or not, certainly know that part of the
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Bible says do, and part of it says done. Horton goes on, this is the part that I'm really after and that I really liked.
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At the same time, the gospel includes God's gracious fulfillment in Christ of all the promises related to the new creation.
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That's why Paul can answer his question, shall we then sin that grace may abound? With more gospel, union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.
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So that we're no longer under sin's dominion. Here it comes. The gospel isn't just enough to justify the ungodly, it's enough to regenerate and sanctify the ungodly.
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It's not just justification. However, only because in the narrower sense, the good news announces our justification that we are for the first time free to embrace
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God as our Father rather than our judge. We have been saved from the condemnation and tyranny of sin.
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Both are essential to the glad tidings that we proclaim. Good to just stop and think about our
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Lord and Savior and what he has done for us. If you'd like to go to Greece with us, No Compromise Radio is taking a trip to Greece from Boston to Athens, etc.
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You can go on our website and find out information on that or you can email me, info at nocompromiseradio .com.
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If you'd like to go with us, you've got the moolah, we'd love to have you. All right, let's see.
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I'm in a series on hell broths is how I titled them. Not initially on the radio, but how
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I initially entitled them when I had to type it in for the podcast. Hell broths.
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And that is because looking at some of the church fathers and some of the rabbinic methods of getting demons to flee people.
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Oh, you had the extracting demons from the nose with a ring. You had torches and amulets and different smells and bells and, you know, that kind of thing.
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But there was a hell broth that some people would make. And I just thought that was kind of interesting, a hell broth.
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So I think that's to get the hell out of them. But I think you maybe make it really bad so it tastes as nasty as something in proverbial
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H -E double toothpicks. But I just thought that was a fascinating name. Hell broths.
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I don't know if we're really big in broths in America these days, but we've got a hell broth that you could give to people to get a demon out.
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So my question was the last two times we talked about hell broths and demons and exorcisms. We haven't even gotten into the question, can a
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Christian be demon possessed? Just tell you ahead of time, no. But there is a lot written throughout the course of church history.
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How do you get rid of a demon? And so what I was trying to push you to is back to the
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Bible. I guess we could call the show Back to the Bible, but that's already taken. I guess we could call the show
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The Bible Answer Man, except I'd never call myself The Bible Answer Man. Out of all the
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Bible Answer Man, I am The Bible Answer Man. Except when it comes to topics of soteriology and eschatology,
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The Bible Answer Man. Is he even on anymore? I'm not sure he's even on anymore.
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Probably begged for money too much and got kicked off of stations. I think if you've got to beg for money, you should get kicked off for stations.
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Off for stations. Off stations as well. So we're still talking a little bit about this interesting topic of demons, and it doesn't take you very long to be reading through the
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Gospels and through the book of Acts, the Acts of the Holy Spirit, to come across demons and come across Jesus relating to demons and Jesus commanding demons and legion, all kinds of issues.
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And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath, he entered the synagogue, talking about Jesus, and was teaching,
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Mark 1. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, not as a scribe. He wasn't quoting all kinds of people.
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And immediately there was in the synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, what have you to do with us,
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Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.
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Jesus rebuked him, saying, be silent and come out of him. And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him, and they were all amazed.
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So were amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, who is this, a new teaching with authority?
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He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. And then one of my all -time favorite verses in the
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Bible, Mark 1, verse 28, at once, his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding regions of Galilee.
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So here on No Compromise Radio, I'm trying to put the bug in your ear. Here's the bug. I'm not trying to say demons don't exist.
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I think they do. But you're not Jesus, and you're not one of the apostles. And since you're not, you ought to say to yourself,
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Jesus cast out demons. The apostles cast out demons. That does not necessarily mean that we're supposed to cast out demons.
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Now some things Jesus did, and had his apostles do, that we're to do. I just think generically, basically, foundational level, love one another.
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We're to love other people. And so that one carries on, carries over. The description of Jesus in the
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Acts, in the Gospels rather, and then the apostles in the
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Acts of the apostles, doesn't necessarily prescribe for us something to do.
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Now sometimes it does carry over, sometimes it doesn't. But in the New Testament, you're going to find scant evidence for casting out demons.
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So anyway, that's kind of just a little recap of where we have been. There is a rite of exorcism for the
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Roman Catholic Church. It's called a Litany of the Saints. There's 57 of these, from Joan of Arc to John the
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Baptist. Read Psalm 54, summoning of the evil spirit. This is what they say to do.
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Unclean spirit, whoever you are and all your companions who possess this servant of God, by the mysteries of the incarnation, the sufferings and death, the resurrection and ascension of our
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Lord Jesus Christ, by the sending of the Holy Spirit and by the coming of our Lord into last judgment,
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I command you, tell me with some sign your name, the day and the hour of your damnation.
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Oh, that's interesting. Obey me in everything, although I am an unworthy servant of God. Do no damage to this creature, or to my assistants, or to any of their goods.
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Then there's some gospel readings. They don't have those in my notes.
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Laying of hand on possessed. It might be kind of scary if somebody's been drinking a hell broth.
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I don't know how close you want to get to them, but that's what it says next to do. Now we have the exorcism.
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We address the evil spirit directly. Now it would be lowbrow of me to say, when you talk to God, what do you call that?
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You would say prayer. That part's not lowbrow so far, but if I were to try to connect the dots and say, so if you talk to a demon, what do you call that?
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Anti -prayer. I'm not talking to demons. I'm not talking to Satan. No way.
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I'm not going to do that at all. I think we go back to Ephesians chapter six. Finally be strong in the
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Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil.
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And I actually think one of the schemes of the devil is to get you to think you can talk to demons and that they'll obey you.
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You. Yeah. And does that mean me too? Yes. I was scolded the other day saying
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I shouldn't say you so much when I'm preaching. Well, if I was sharing, I'd say we, but if I was preaching,
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I'd say you. I think God has called me to preach. John the Baptist did it. Ezekiel did it. Of course, I'm not near those men in stature or anything like that, but that's the model.
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Jesus, Paul, Peter, Isaiah, you imperative.
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I'm not above anybody, but we're just supposed to preach for God. I have a message from God for you.
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Kind of like Ehud had for Egelon. Now, this is the address to the evil spirit.
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I exercise you most unclean spirit invading enemy all spirits, every one of you in the name of our
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Lord Jesus Christ, be uprooted and expelled from this creature of God. He who commands you is he who ordered you to be thrown down from the highest heaven into the depths of hell.
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He who commands you is he who dominated the sea, the wind and the storms here.
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Therefore, in fear, Satan, enemy of the faith, enemy of the human race, source of death, robber of life, twister of justice, root of evil, warp of vices, seducer of men.
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Just have your hands on the person when you do this. I don't think so. Maybe. Traitor of nations, insider of jealousy, originator of greed, cause of discord, creator of agony.
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Why do you stay and resist when you know that Christ our Lord has destroyed your plan? Fear him who was prefigured in Isaac, in Joseph and in the paschal lamb, who was crucified as a man and who rose from death.
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Amen. Well, if that's not enough, it says down here, says further instructions and prayers.
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When all has been recited, it can be repeated as often as is necessary until the possessed is completely free.
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All right, time for no compromise style. That's all made up. All that stuff is made up.
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Now, there are truths in that made up stuff, that is to say that he's died and he's been raised from the dead and he's ascended and the spirit he sent, talking about Jesus Christ, doing those things.
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Of course, that's all true, but what's made up is this formula to get rid of a demon. Now, I do not bash people's motive to say we love somebody.
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They've obviously got a problem, and their problem is demon possession, sin. We don't know what it is, but they're whacked out somehow.
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We think it's a demon. We want to help. I don't say that's bad. I don't say it's bad that they're even trying to say, well,
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Jesus is the only one who has a higher authority. At least they recognize that.
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But what I am saying is the methodology is not found in the New Testament epistles.
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How many New Testament epistles are there? Let's think big picture. How many books of the Bible? Sixty -six.
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How many books in the New Testament? Twenty -seven. How many epistles in the New Testament?
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Twenty -one. Right? Because you've got the book of Revelation, and by the way, don't call it Revelations. It's the
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Revelation. We've got Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the Gospels of Jesus, according to each one of those.
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And since I'm being picky today, don't even call it the Gospel of Mark, because it's not Mark's good news. It's the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Mark.
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And then you've got the book of Acts, Acts of the Apostles. Some people call it Acts of the Holy Spirit. The Apostles might be better, more theological, but it happens to be a longer term.
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Twenty -one epistles. Now where in those twenty -one epistles? Letters to tell the church what to do and how to think.
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Where are the demon casting out verses? Where are these things that I just got done reading?
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Lay your hand on the person. Summon the evil spirit. Address the evil spirit. If that doesn't work, do not pass.
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Go. Go back. I think this is scary, actually.
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I do believe Satan exists. I do believe demons exist. And I do believe you don't have any authority over them.
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The thing that you ought to do is to preach the Gospel to the person, and if the spirit comes in, the demons slash demons go out.
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But getting close to some demon and trying to do some incantation?
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I don't like that. It does say warning here. For those of you who want to try this, according to Rome, it says,
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Only Catholic priests who are both legally and morally ordained and are faithful to the teaching of sacred
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Scripture, as validly understood through the legitimate moral authority of the church. Isn't that nice?
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And who gave and who remains spiritually sound should attempt an exorcism.
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Devils are powerful beings and can be extremely harmful to the unqualified. I actually believe that last sentence.
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Devils are powerful human beings. Devils can be extremely harmful to the unqualified. To anybody they could be, they could.
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And why is it especially difficult in this situation is because these people, these priests who have been legally and morally ordained and are faithful to Rome, haven't been given
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Christ's authority like Peter and James and the others in the New Testament. Eyewitnesses to the resurrection were the apostles.
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They were able to perform undeniable miracles, the apostles. They were the foundation of the church, the apostles.
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They were personally chosen by God, apostles. They received special revelation, apostles.
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They were God's authorized agents, apostles. Their appointment was authenticated by signs, apostles.
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Their signs were to validate their ministries, the apostles, before the Bible was put together.
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And they were given this great charge to cast these demons out.
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They were, not anyone else. They were. So what's that old saying?
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Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, tread to fear, treadmill.
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I don't have a treadmill here in my study, but I have, it's called a StarTrack, S -T -A -R -T -R -A -C.
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And it is a bicycle that I ride in the wintertime inside because we do have some white stuff that gets here in New England.
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All right, let's see what else. I got an email regarding this verse. So let's talk about it for a second.
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John 14, 12, you say, what about that pastor? What about that Bible Answer Man? Remember, you can call me
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Bible Answer Man if you call me with the indefinite article, A Bible Answer Man, because I like to give answers from the
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Bible, and I am a man, and so A Bible Answer Man. That's not an alpha privative either. A Bible, like anti -Bible, that is
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A space Bible Answer Man. How about that? The Bible Answer Man.
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Truly, truly, John 14, 12, I say to you, he who believes in me, the works that I do, he will also do, and greater works than these he will do because I go to the
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Father. All right, greater works than Jesus.
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So I guess we're going to do greater works, according to this verse, than walk on the ocean,
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Sea of Galilee, sorry, not the ocean, raise ourselves from the dead, feed the 5 ,000 men, so there's like 10 ,000, two different times, 4 ,000, 5 ,000, both men, so let's just say around 19 ,000, 17 ,000 people.
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What do you mean greater works? I don't think Jesus meant greater in power, but here, according to my little
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MacArthur study Bible, but in extent, they would become witnesses to all the world through the power of the indwelling and infilling
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Holy Spirit, and would bring many to salvation because the comfort of their dwelling in them.
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The focus is on spiritual rather than physical miracles. The book of Acts constitutes the beginning historical record of the impact that the
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Spirit -empowered disciples had on the world. The only way Jesus' disciples would be able to be used to do those greater works was through the power of the
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Holy Spirit. So people say, well, greater works than these, people who believe in him.
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But see, don't forget the greater work is salvation. You can be used by God to preach the gospel of free, distinguishing, sovereign grace of Christ Jesus, the
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God -man who died a substitutionary death as our representative and was raised from the dead. You can tell people to repent and believe in that Christ, and that is if God decides to save them and regenerate them.
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That is more spectacular, that is greater than any temporal miracle that could occur on earth because lepers who are cleansed and who aren't regenerate don't go to heaven.
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And so you could have your body and all your ailments healed and still go to heaven, that wouldn't work out too well.
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But if you went to heaven, everything else is in faint and dim comparison to that.
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Another Bible commentary said, he wanted to impress on the disciples that he was not disabandoning them in anticipation of his departure, but rather he was expecting them to continue his work and do even greater things than he had accomplished.
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There were more converts after the initial sermon of Peter at Pentecost than are recorded for Jesus during his entire career.
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I hate to say career, but that's what expository Bible commentary says. The influence of the infant church covered the
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Roman world, whereas Jesus during his lifetime never traveled outside the boundaries of Palestine. Through the disciples, he multiplied his ministry after his departure.
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So when you say, Mike, so far, so good, the whole demon thing, but you forgot some verses.
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Verse one you forgot was John 14, 12. I haven't forgotten that verse, and that should give you a good refutation of the contrary belief, popular belief.
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But what about casting out demons in Mark 16? We gotcha. Abendroth, we gotcha.
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Somebody wrote me a letter the other day. It was Mike Abendraft. Abendraft. So I think that was their first attempt at emailing me.
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They probably got nervous. Info at NoCompromiseRadio .com, and it was Mike Abendraft. And so Aben is, you know, evening.
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So it was an evening draft. They were writing that at night. Abendraft. So okay, actually, he was a nice fellow.
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He came. His name was Richard, and he was visiting. And he listens to NOCO someplace, some other city, state, and was in Boston, drove here on a
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Sunday morning, said he'll listen to the radio station. How about that? All right. I said, are you a good giver?
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I didn't say that. All right.
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The verse that people are going to say, Abendroth, you're dogging me. Mark, what chapter?
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16. Alleged verse 17 and 18. These will accompany those who have believed in my name.
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They will cast out demons. They will speak with new tongues. They will pick up serpents. Whoops. And if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them.
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They will lay hands on the sick and they will recover. So we're going to have to look at that next time in part four of hell, broths, and amulets.
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So my name is Mike Abendroth, NO Compromise Radio. You can go to the podcast, nocoeverisup .com.
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It's a Vimeo production with Carl Truman, who will be here at the church September 14th through 16th. We'd love to have you go. Go to our website, bbcchurch .org,
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and you can register or check out what else we're doing here and what the Lord is doing through us at Bethlehem Bible Church.
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NO Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston.
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Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life -transforming power of God's Word through verse -by -verse exposition of the sacred text.
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Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston.
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You can check us out online at bbcchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.
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The thoughts and opinions expressed on NO Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management.